A significant portion of the population will experience back pain in their lifetime. Because the back comprises a complex system of bones, nerves, muscles, etc., back pain can have many different causes. In many cases, back pain results from a direct injury to the back (e.g., a fall) or is related to a sedentary lifestyle (e.g., not getting enough exercise, staying seated for long periods of time, etc.). One frequent treatment of back pain involves stretching the muscles of the lower back and legs. In many instances back pain can be treated, and in some cases prevented, with regular exercise and stretching. While machines designed for aerobic and strengthening exercise are quite common (e.g., treadmills and weight benches), relatively few exercise machines exist that are designed to aid in proper stretching and stretching techniques.
In addition to the issues related to back pain, there is a large push within our society to improve flexibility and prevent many of the aches and pains associated with aging by maintaining an improved flexibility level. There are very few machines available that focus on proper stretching and stretching techniques for the general populous, and even fewer that allow aging individuals to stretch safely and correctly while still addressing multiple muscle groups within one machine.